John m



(No Model.)

J. M. PENNERTY.

RAILWAY CHAIR.

No. 335,067. Patented Jan. 26, 1886.

xxsx V I i NITED' warns PATET lFFlQE.

vJOHN M. FENNERTY, OF \VASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

'RAlLWAY-CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 335,067, dated January 26, 1886.

Application filed June 29, 1855.

Serial No. 170,140. (No model.)

To all whom it mayconcern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN M. FENNERTY, a citizen of the United States of America, resid ing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Railway-Chairs, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention is an improved rail'chair, and embraces the following novel features: A metallic bolster-block having a socket-groove one side and the bottom of which conform, respectively, to the transverse section of the web and lower side flanges ofthe rail,said web side being counterbraced on the outside by arching buttress-like supports which rise vertically from the surface of said blocks, of which they are a solid portion; also, asliding wedge-p1ate having an upper and lower longitudinal flange on its front side, between the inclined ledges of which an open slot-space is thus made which conforms fittingly to the flanged edge of said socket-groove of the chair-block; and, finally, pivoted to one end of the base of said block is a verticallymoved latching-catch,whicl1 rests its loose end perpendicularly against the front of said wed ge-plate, between a projecting knob upon its surface and a contiguous end of its said upper overlapping and oversliding flange, all of which and their purposes are hereinafter more fully described, and illustrated by the accompanying drawings, inwhich like letters designate identical parts of said invention in the different figures, respectively.

Figure l is an end view of said chair, showing the rail-flange-inclosingsocket-groove, the side of one of the said buttress-braces, the flange edge of said socket-groove directly underneath the over and under sliding ledgeflanges of said wedge-plate and the said pivotal latching-catch. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the front side of said bolster-block and the said sliding wedge-plate directly above. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the obverse side of said chairblock, showing said buttress-braces supporting the outer side of the rail-web plate; and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of said invention, showing the relative positions of its parts with an enlocked railway-track rail.

The letter A represents the said bolsterblock, forming the rail-inclosing and joint supporting chair. Itis made all in one piece, with the longitudinal socket-groove I) cut entirely through its whole length, as shown, so

as to conform to the transverse shape of the v inclosed and jointing rails and allow their abutting ends to be easily slipped in and out, for adjustment or repair of the tracl ,without any binding or clamping of their webs or flanges. The web supporting side of said groove is counterbraced against any spreading pressure upon the rails by the verticallyarching and laterally supporting buttressbraces c, which rise from the concave surface of the chair-block, of which they are one piece, perpendicularly against the outside of said rail-web support, as shown. The lateral edges of the base of said block are beveled outward, in order to form a dovetailed joint within the conformably jointing and leveling slot cut into the top of the track-tie, as shown; and said base is further secured from any longitudinal slipping within saidjointingslot by railspikes driven or by bolts screwed through said base into the tie-block beneath. In order to firmly secure and hold said abutting rail-joints in proper vertical position and prevent the jar of pass ing trains from disturbing the fixedness of the said inclosing chair-blocks after one of said bolsters has been fastened, as aforesaid, into its bearing tie or block, and after said railjoint has been adjusted by slipping the opposite ends of the two abutting rails longitudinally into said socketgroove until said ends nearly meet, the said wedgeplate D is provided,which consists of a sliding plate of suitable size and material, and has formed on its front side and projecting at an inclination therefrom the counter pair of longitudinal flanges e and f, which are snfficiently separated by an intervening grooved space to conform to the longitudinal flange-edge of said' socket-groove I), as shown, and thereby allow said coniormedly-shelving flanges e and f to respectively slide under and over the correspondinglyshelving edge of said socket groove until the farther or entering end of said overlapping flange is stopped against the checkspur s, intentionally projecting therefor from the grooved flange beneath, and the near ends of both lapping flanges are brought flush with the near end of the chair-block. Meanwhile, in order to jam said smoothly-laid and rectangularly shaped sliding plate tightly against the continuously-jointed webs of the inclosed track-rail and between their hearing and lower flanges,the roof of said upper shelving-flange,f,is madeslightly thicker on its near or following end, thereby wedging the same between the rail-flanges with the thrust of said sliding plate. This sliding plate, with its shelving and wedging flanges, makes a counter-bracing support, with the opposite websupporting side of said chair-groove, to the inclosed track-rails against any lateral movement whatever, while said counter-supporting chair does not prevent any necessary vertical motions of the rails from passing trains or the longitudinal expansion or contraction of the same from atmospheric changes. In order to give additional security to thesteadfastness of said rail -jointsupporting elements of said chair-block and prevent any possible slipping of said wedge-plate from its proper position in connection with said rails and bolster, the

'latching'catch g is furnished, which consists of asuitably sized and shaped pivotal plate or bar secured to the wedge-plate-entering end of the basal part of said chair-block byacheckscrew turning in a curved slot cut through said pivotal plate, as shown, therebyto make the locking adjustment of its loose end per pendicularly against the front of said wedgeplate, while conforming to the slightly-varying thickness or present expansion of the railwebs. Thus said railchair, by means of its elemental parts, hereinbefore described, becomes a very simple, efiective, easily and quickly adjusted, and steadfast support to the abutting joints of track-rails,without the necessity of any aid from fish-plates, bored rail-webs, screw-bolts, nut-locks, or any other of the continually-loosening and deteriorating contrivances now used in the thereby expensive construction and repair of railway-tracks, especially in the present expedited travel of railway-trains. Therefore-- What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The railway-chair composed of the two conforming parts herein described, the bolsterblock having the socket groove, buttressbraces, and slotted latching-catch, and the sliding wedge-plate having the shelvingflanges, all made to adj ustably cooperate with the abutting and jointing ends of railwaytrack rails, substantially as and for the purposes herein specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN M. FEN N ERTY.

Witnesses:

R. H. STEELE, EMMA M. GILLETT. 

